Abies: a Threatened Genus Teena Agrawal*

Review Article

iMedPub Journals British Journal of Research 2017 http://www.imedpub.com/ Vol.4 No.4:26 ISSN 2394-3718

DOI: 10.21767/2394-3718.100026 Abies: A Threatened Genus Teena Agrawal*

Banasthali University, Rajasthan, India *Corresponding author: Teena Agrawal, Banasthali University, Rajasthan, India, Tel: +91-9680724243; E-mail: [email protected] Received Date: August 07, 2017; Accepted Date: October 10, 2017; Published Date: October 14, 2017 Copyright: © 2017 Agrawal T. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Citation: Agrawal T (2017) Abies: A Threatened Genus. Br J Res Vol. 4 No 4: 26. cylindrical, covered with persistent leaf bases, arborescent approximately 300 cm, generally decumbent at greater Abstract elevation. The length of the smallest cones male trunk has been observed 20 cm, smallest cones females 95 cm leaves numerous, Gymnosperms are the plant of the always with great 20-50 per crown, ascending to descending, 90-190 cm long , concerns, they have the fruitless seed, they represent the 14-25 cm wide, tomatoes green, rigid leaflet, sub opposite, apex great evolution. In that recent era Cycadales (one lines of acuminate [7]. the evolution ) are the living fossils of the gymnosperms, this is the relict lines of the evolution, only few member are Dioon species principally occur at the elevation of the present here and they show the all feature of the pathways 1200-2000 m, on sleep limestone to the higher elevation of the of the conservative evolution of the gymnosperms. Mexico Gymnosperm have the great evolutionary history, this Coniferales lines of the evolution is the main cladistces which have a combinations of the characters, they have all lines of the evolution was abundant in the Mesozoic time the characters of development and evolution of the period, however rapid decline can be observe during the end of gymnosperms in this review we are analyzing some of the the cretaceous periods, coniferales are the dominant & most aspects of the one of the confier entitled as the Abies. This abundant and distributed form of the gymnosperms, they have is the dominant genus only after the Pinus, in the belt of the all the features of the maximum development of the conifers forest in different mountains. Some of the main Gymnosperms [11]. aspects of the Abies have been regarding to their occurrence and the conservation has been presented in this Fossil conifers have been reported from the early Jurassic paper. period, they have the highest complexity of the tissue at that era, however the complexity of the tissues has not been observed like the angiosperms anatomy [11]. Keywords: Dominant; Evolution; Cladistic; Mesozoic; Conifers; Conservation Conifers are the evergreen trees with the long bushes and the shrubs, they have the long needles with the two kinds of the shoots, these shoots are the dimorphic, one of them is the long Introduction shoots and the another one is the spur with the whorls of the Cycadales are the living representative of the leaves or the Microphylles [11] reproduction occurs by the gymnosperms .They repressed the relict lines of the evolution. cones, these are the male and the females cones with the About 11 genera’s has been reported from all over the world [1]. woody textures and the appearances, ouvuliferous scales are the There fossil history goes back into the Permian, however in the point of the taxonomic significances [11]. Commercially the carboniferous time period, they flourish well [2,3]. In Jurassic conifers are utilized as the timber and the other wooden period a long belt of the gymnosperm was reported in the fossil purposes. Abies is the genus of the family pinaceae and the evidences from the India as well as the other parts of the world. order is the coniferales [11]. They were at the tremendous diversity at that time [1]. There Abies is the important genus of the coniferales, commonly the molecular phylogenetic shows that these plants are near to the plant has been termed as the FIRS. Some of the species of the extinction [4,5]. firs has been termed as the silver firs. Abies names has been The distribution of the Dioon can be observed in all over the proposed by the Nirgil (70-19 BC) for the wood of the plant , the world, however in the Mexico there is long belt of the Dioon. name has been used for the scandivinian fir, silver fir usually Mexico mountain region is considered as the native places of the found in the high mountainous area (500-2000 m [8-10] . The Dioon. Around 30 species of the Dioon has been reported from moist humid condition are required for the cultivation of the firs, all over the world. However the plant body is divided in to the the rainfall for the cultivation of the firs should be between the trunk, leaves and the very marvelous kind of the cones. In 800-2000 mm, it is distributed in whole of the northern part of majority of the cases the Dioon trunk is underground [6]. Trunk the world , they are distributed in the central Europe, south and around 20-400 cm long, 20-40 cm in diameter, entirely eastern Germany [8-11].

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The plant is erect, pyramidical typical cone shaped, the plant has the very marvelous appearances, likes the typical ornaments [9]. Leaves of the Abies are like the other coniferales needles; in some of the species dimorphism can be observed [8-11]. The genus Abies like the other conifers Picea, cedrus, larix, Pesudosuga, grows in to the northern hemisphere, to the arctic circles (Figures 1-4) [9,11].

Figure 3. Abies cones (Source: gymnosperm databases).

Figure 4. Abies sp. Microphylls (Source: vascular pant images library).

Figure 1. Abies Species, (Source: Vnden berk nurseries). Some of the characters’ of the species of the ABIES are enlisted as: Abies alba: grows widely in the Europe, mostly in the hilly area, from the 38 north latitude to the 52 north latitude. Habit: The height of the A. alba is around 70 m, however variation in the height can be observed, the shape of the tree is pyramidical, later on branches diverge in to the different directions. leaves are needles shaped, form 2 cm to the 2 mm, linear with ridges and the groves, there is proper angels in the diverges of the leaves from the branches [8-11]. Cones: are alre, green, 11 cm to 4 cm, at the both end are the ouvluiferous scaes owth the tapering in to the end. Some of the species of the Abies like the Abies nordamnniana are also very similar to the above species. Abies anabilis: It grows in to the southern Alaska to the Oregon. They grows from lower elevation to the higher Figure 2. Abies tree (Source: gymnosperm databases). elevation of the mountain, this species of the fir can be found f in to the Olympic peninsula, of the Washington. In the arnmold Majority of the species of the genus are monoecism. The both arboretum of the Harvard University there is one specimen of sexes can be found on the same plant. Bract of the cones are the Abies anabolic. more longer than the other cones of the genera‘s [8-10]. The plant is paramedical, spiral like growing at the height of the 80-100 m , in its native habitat , foliage are from the 5 cm to the 3 cm, flattened, linear, occasionally notched, curved slightly, margin entire. The stomata are deep sunken .Resin canal are in margin, cones are of the 10-15 cm and 5-6 cm in height. Some of 2 This article is available from: http://www.imedpub.com/british-journal-of-research/ British Journal of Research 2017 ISSN 2394-3718 Vol.4 No.4:26

the species of the Abies are similar with the A nordmaniana, the Recurvata, A. anabilis, A. squamata, A. sibrica ,A. grandis, variations can be seen in the position of the resin canal of the A .gutalensis leaves [8-10]. Abies balseamia: Balsum fir, balsam fir is the native of the Uses of the Abies northern United States and Canada, from Newfoundland to The Abies balsamic popularly known as the charismas tree. It Alberta. The fragrances of the tree are like the balsam. The is worshipped in the occasion of the Christmas day as a festival name balsum is also applied to the other species of the firm tree. also. These species are enlisted as: • The resin is used to produces the Canada balsam. Abies lepidocarpa, Abies concolor, it is the cold climate tree, the height of the tree reaches up to the 30-40 meters. • It was traditionally used for the treatments of the cold and the other diseases. The growth pattern of the A. balsamina is slow. The plant is • The resin is used for the purposes of the glues. symmetrical, conical, crown like, it is used for the purposes of • It is used for the formation of the optical instrument the ornamentals [9,11]. compounds. Some of the species of the Abies are hybrid. They are the • It is used for the preparation of the permanent slides of the resultant of the fusion of the two CN. The genera species among tissues. them Abies borsiiversis, this is the hybrid between the Abies • The resin is important medicinally, the Canada balsam has Cephalonia and Abies alba, this plant species grows in to the been used for the treatment of the scurvy. Bulgaria. It is supposed that hybridization occur between the ice • The wood of the tree is used for the construction of the ages. many products of the commercial values. Abies religiosa: This is commonly known as the oyuanmer fir. • The pulp is uses for the manufacture of the paper. According to the version of the IUCN 3.1 the species has been • The balsam is used for the air freshener. consider the least concerns. The native place of the species is • The leaves of the Abies are Ayurveda’s in nature; it is used the Mexico. The species is utilized for the timber and the other for the treatment of the variety of the diseases. purposes .continuous logging and the habitat destruction are • The resin is bronchodilator. the reasons for the degradation of the species in the places, so careful conservation of the genus are required for the In majority of the cases the resin is used for the treatment of propagation of the species for the Varity of the purposes [11]. the variety of the respiratory disorders. Abies alba: Commonly known as the silver fir. The IUCN version 3.1 says that the species is the least concerns. On the Conclusion basis of the AOO (area of the occupancy) and the area of the The review shows the basic points of the Abies genus with extent (AOE) the species has been declared as the least concern, some species, Abies is the major conifers in the conifers belt of since the species of the genus is widely spread. This species of the northern hemisphere as well in India in the Himalayas range. the Abies is commercially very valuable and significant. Majority of the species of the Abies are at the critically Abies vejarii: This is commonly known as the vejor fir. The endangered due to the habitat destruction and the natural species has been declared as the near threatened, they are reason like the forest fires and the climate change so we need to endemic to the north east Mexico , on the basis of the area of conserve these lines of the evolution for the maintenance of the the occupancy and the extent it has been reported that the metabolites as well as the phylogenetic genes for the tracing out species members are degrading due to the natural fires and the the evolution. logging and the degradation of the habitat [11] . Abies numicida: This is known as the Algerian fir. The genus References has been declared as the critically endangered. This species is 1. IPNI (2010) Plant Name Details for Dioon purpusii. threatened to the verity of the reasons these are the forest fires and the logging, another reasons is the degradation of the 2. Donaldson JS, Vovides A, Chemnick J (2003) Dioon purpusii in IUCN 2010". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International habitat [11]. Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Alba dense: this is commonly known as the Sikkim fir. 3. Carlos, I (2003) Morphological and geographical variations of the Previously this species is placed in the species termed as the cycads Dioon edule, Botanicla journal of the linaean society 141: Abies spectibilis, later on it was found that on the basis of the 465-470. morphological and the phylogenetic evidences there is marked 4. Halbert SE (2010) Triology. difference in the spectibilis, so it should be placed in to the separate species dense. 5. Dallia M (2016) Gikgetin or isogingetin the dimethyl menthoflavones of Dioon edule. European journal of the medicnal Some of the species of the Abies also follows the same plants 16:1-7. features with minor difference, so they can be included as: 6. Dyer WTT (1883) Cycadaceae. European Journal of Medicinal Plants.

7. Gonzalez-Astrorga J (2003) Revision of the Dion tomenserral 10. Vovides PA (2003) A new species in the genus Dioon (Zamiaceae) (Zamiaceae) from western mexico, phytologia 83: 1-6. form north central oaxaco mexico. Botanicla Journal of Linaen Society 141: 471-476. 8. Moawad D, Amir E (2016) Total Phenolic, Total Flavonoid And Antioxidant Activity Of Some Plants Of Gemnosperms: 11. Vovides A, Chemnick J, Gregory T (2010) Dioon spinulosum. The Phytochemical Investigation Of Dioon Edule Lindl. Leaves Planta IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T42149A10667709. Med 82: 1-46. 9. Standley PC (1920) Trees and Shrubs of Mexico. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.: U.S. National Herbarium.

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